


Crown of Thorns

by CowKing



Category: Game Grumps, oneyplays, supermega
Genre: Angst, Curses, Ding Dong is a prince, Ding Dong's name is Mason Brownbinski, Fairy Tale Curses, Fluff, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Julian is a servant, Julian is hella gay, Love things happen, M/M, No that's not his real name don't worry, Romance, Swearing, kingdom au, royal au, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-03-22 11:45:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13763442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CowKing/pseuds/CowKing
Summary: Mason “Ding Dong” Brownbinski, the lone child of the king and queen, is the crowned prince of the Chicago Kingdom, but he grows tired of being cooped in the palace, nothing to keep him company but his own loneliness and the garden. That is until he finds himself befriending one of the many servants.





	1. The Rabbit

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I fabricated this whole AU myself and I'm so proud of it because of how much time I spent on it. Hopefully I can get all the information about it out indirectly through my writing. Speaking of which, this is my first time writing in a while and I'm currently trying to find a writing style, so sorry if the first few chapters look a little wonky.

 The life of the prince of the Chicago Kingdom, Mason Brownbinski, is so full of jam packed adventure and discovery that the young man never knows what he’s going to do for the day.

 

 Maybe today he’ll take yet another nap under the shady oak trees scattered across the small field in the palace, drifting off to dreams of what used to be rather than what is. The cool summer breeze would flow through his short brunette locks, mixing with the shade in the humid weather. Today was the perfect, sunny, and cloudless day indeed. But he had somehow grew tired of napping. How ironic.

 

 Perhaps he could read one of the many books in his collection in the royal library, the sun providing its shine as a makeshift reading light. The grass, the greenest in the whole kingdom, would tickle at his skin and feet, but provide comfort as he would scan over the inked lines on the paper with his beautiful baby blue eyes, his reading glasses lightly stationary on the bridge of his nose.

 

 But what could he read today that he hasn’t grown bored of already? What about the story about the young princess and the seven dwarfs? A classic, but he has already read that story twice. Maybe he could read over all of Aesop’s fables contained in a single book, but he has already read the stories over and over again, carefully analyzing each fable to understand their morals better, so rereading them once again wouldn’t be entertaining, especially if you know what’s going to happen. So what’s the point? All the other princess stories seem the same to him, nothing new, nothing that catches his eye. It’s almost pointless to read if he has already read every book in his library. He noted to tell his father to order new, better books.

 

 He could read over his old text books again. Each page provided a variety of information that could range from history to math to foreign countries and their cultures. The prince found it interesting that other parts of the world don’t rely on a king and queen to oversee the land. It’s so different from his land, which is split into hundreds, maybe even thousands, of kingdoms.

 

 He thought back to the time where he had his own personal teacher. After his parents had the doltish idea to begin holding their son captive in the palace, they still held onto the belief that he needed an education. I mean, you wouldn’t want a foolish, moronic man to run your kingdom as king, would you? So he was given a personal teacher to tutor him over as many subjects it was possible to cover.

 

 And don’t get Mason wrong, he was a very smart boy, even before he was tutored. And the teachings had helped enhance his education, but they were so boring, especially when he’s such a fast learner and he already knew majority of the information being shoved into his brain.

 

 And the tests. Lord, don’t even get him started.

 

 The tests were the generic ‘fill in the bubble to the best corresponding answer’ kind of thing, and they annoyed the living Hell out of the prince. The answers were so obvious so the tests were too easy, that he decided to give up and get the answers wrong on purpose. At first he did it out of spite, since annoying the teacher was one of the most entertaining things to him, but when he found out that it was grabbing the attention of his parents, he did it out of motivation that maybe he could actually have a conversation with them about  _something_. Who cares if it was about bad grades? He just wanted to hear the concern they have for their child as they speak, because maybe then, he could have some sort of validation in his life. Some closure that they actually  _care_  about their son. That was like an achievement to the prince.

 

 But of course, that never happened, and it just ended with the teacher getting fired and replaced with a new one.

 

 Mason hated that part of his life, and would cringe inwardly at the thought of those dark times.

 

 Anyways, he already read and understood everything in the text books, so that was out of the question.

 

 Riding his horse can be another option. The wind blowing through his hair and the  _clip-clop_ of Woody’s hooves against the rocks that flood the all-too familiar path were oh-so satisfying to the prince, he concluded. But it wasn’t enough. He was limited to so few paths that lead through the small forest in the palace yard. He has gone down those roads so often, he memorized every nook and cranny. Every rock and tree and their shape. Nothing changes, and he hates it.

 

 Besides, he went riding yesterday. Why would he go again today?

 

 He had already fed the rabbits that ran rampant in the castle’s walls. He had cleaned their sleeping stalls and replaced their shredded hay beds. He had tended to the sick and impregnated bunnies. They were fine and happy and did not need anymore care.

 

 His final option was go to his mother garden, and pick at the rare flowers that were freshly planted not too long ago. They recently found a new plant, so rare it doesn’t have a name, and the prince wanted to see them.

 

 He made his way to the garden, leaving the book he was reading for the fourth time behind in the grass, propped up by a rock, and sat in the middle of the well tended garden. He finally spotted them, and he was right. They were the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. The petals were a blueish purple color and they curled up together, much like a rose. He was told that these flowers bloom at the beginning of spring. In fact, they bloom on Valentine’s Day. How the flowers knew it was Valentine’s Day, he didn’t know, but the flower was fascinating, even with its legend.

 

 Legends say that if one were to be pricked by the blue thorns on the flower’s stem and bleed from the thorn’s wrath, the first person the victim sees is the one they fall in love with. The prince scoffed at the tale as he pulled the flower from its roots, dropping it into the grass so it may wilt and die, before he picked at another. And another. And another. Until there were only a few left. He reached for another unlucky victim before he heard his mother shout from behind him.

 

 “Mason Brownbinski! You better stop pulling my flowers this instance, young man!” He turned around to see the source— the queen was standing on the balcony above him, watching the scene before her in absolute horror. He chuckled. They only pay attention if he does something undesirable. How stupid.

 

 He stared back at his mother, staring right into the burning fire in her eyes, before he grabbed one of the remaining flowers and yanked it from the ground harshly, infuriating the women even further as she stormed back inside, most likely to go confront her son.

 

 “Oooh, someone is in trooouble!~” The prince’s bodyguard teased as he stood nearby, his attire being that of a full suit of armor, complete with a sword sitting idle in his belt. Considering the summer heat and the dark color of the armor’s metal, the prince concluded he must be scorching in there. The taller brunette crossed his arms as he heard the prince chuckle, “If it means getting my mother to come and scold me, then perhaps it is worth it.”

 

 “Whatever, Dee, I’m out of here before she-“

 

 “Chris O’Neill, I told you I prefer to be called ‘Ding Dong’.” The prince said, abruptly cutting the man off, “And this is the sixth time this week you left in the middle of your job. If my parents find out, I’m sure they’ll find someone to replace you rather quickly.”

 

 “Well  _I_  prefer to call you ‘Dee’, cause Ding Dong sounds stupid.” Chris responded, “And they won’t do anything if you don’t say anything.”

 

 “Oh, trust me. I won’t tell. I like you.” Ding Dong then waved his hand to dismiss him, “Go on and run and do what you want. I’ll most likely be here anyways.”

 

 “Thanks, Dee, you’re the best!” And with that, he ran off to God knows where.

 

 “It’s  _Ding Dong_!” The prince managed to shout before Chris disappeared into the massive building that was the kingdom’s castle, before he turned back to the garden, conversing to himself as he continued his path of bio-destruction before he heard the sound of footsteps make his way toward him. But they seem quiet and calm, even hesitate, which is odd considering how angry his mother seemed to be.

 

 But he smiled to himself anyways, glad that he finally had some time with at least one of his parents. But he was gravely disappointed when he turned around and was met with the last thing he would want to see at the moment, bowing in front of him, as if waiting for permission to speak.


	2. The Whale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are mentions of rape in the beginning but nothing too bad. Just thought I should let you guys know.

 Julian Marcel never asked to be born, but neither did his mother.

 

 Born with a rape victim mother too poor to support the child she didn’t even want, Julian was sent to a rotting orphanage as a baby. The mistress was an old and nasty crone who wanted nothing more than a quiet life to spend her dying days in. Sometimes Julian would wonder why she willingly worked as a caretaker at an orphanage if she even didn’t like children. He concluded years later it was mostly for the free labor.

 

 No one but the children knew what happened inside the walls of the orphanage, as they were forced to keep quiet about the events being taken place in that Hellhole. So they kept their heads down and did what they had to do out of fear of being put in what the children nicknamed ‘The Room’ if they misbehaved.

 

 Julian was forced to spend the night in The Room only once. He was about 12 at the time, and the reason was because he held the hand of another boy. He never understood why he was punished until he was older and learned about the morals of the people around him, but the tan skinned boy never did that in public ever again, just in case.

 

 It wasn’t until several years later that she had finally passed and the children were free from her dictatorship, the best part being that she was replaced with a much sweeter women with a passion for helping the orphans find a home. Unfortunately for Julian, it was far too late for him, as he was close to hitting 18 years of age. He found out the hard way that no one wants to adopt older kids. They want the cuter, younger ones who will last longer. He understood and came to terms that he will never be the son anybody wants, so the least he could do was to be there for the younger kids.

 

 The thing about the orphanage was that it wasn't being funded well, let alone at all. The wood that held the place together was rotting and the floor boards would creak when stepped on. Most of the kids didn’t get to eat a meal every day and some had to share beds. Though Julian knew it wasn’t a paradise, this was probably the best he’ll ever get. He would often find himself giving up his bed and meal for the younger ones. The floor could be his makeshift bed and he wanted to lose weight anyways.

 

 When Julian turned old enough, the young man finally got himself a job loading and unloading supplies from the trading ships down by the dock. It didn’t pay much, but combining his pay with the money he would get from his art commissions, it helped the orphanage survive, and that was all he ever wanted.

 

 All the children praised Julian and his talents. Despite the fact that he and many of the other children couldn’t read or write, they enjoyed art, especially Julian, as he had practiced for years and years. At first he would steal the supplies he needed, but as he grew older he realized his mistake and began to pay for them. Though sometimes, on special occasions, the orphans would reward him with the supplies he needed. And though it wasn’t much, they meant the world to the starving artist.

 

 By the time Julian turned 20, he wasn’t allowed into the orphanage anymore. They weren’t accepting any job positions and by law he was too old to live there. So with a heavy heart, he said goodbye to the children and went on his way. With the little money he had, perhaps he could make a living somewhere.

 

 That was a lie. That was a terrible, ugly lie he told himself every single day.

 

 He ran out of people to do art commissions for. He was fired from his job at the docks when his boss walked in on him with his hand down another man’s pants, and everybody refused to hire him after that. It wasn’t long before he was ran out of town, and even out of his kingdom, and lived a portion of his life as a refugee.

 

 He traveled from kingdom to kingdom in search of a new life, but always ended up in a dead end, and having to be ran out. He was running out of options and Julian was ready to give in until he saw a opportunity flash before his eyes.

 

 He decided that his last resort would the Chicago Kingdom, a kingdom best known for its rapidly growing rabbit population and its production of building materials, mostly brown clay. But other than that, it was a dying kingdom that was on its last leg. During his time as a refugee, he heard rumors that one of the many lords of the Gaming Kingdom was planning on invading the place. He couldn’t remember his name, he was never educated on the kingdoms and their rulers, but he thinks it started with a ‘M’. But he knew for sure that he was most popular for his obsession with the rare pigment of pink and mustaches. A weird lord he was, Julian decided.

 

 As he entered the walls of the kingdom and into one of the few towns the kingdom provided, he overheard a conversation in which one of the men said the royal family was in search of new servants to live in the palace and do their bidding. This seemed very promising to Julian. It’s not everyday you get a chance to live in the same walls as a royal family!

 

 Of course, Julian later learned it was too good to be true.

 

 Early in the morning, he had gathered what little belongings he owned and made his way to the castle’s gate entrance. The gate stood closed, and two tall men guarded the entrance, their intimidating glares stared forward. Their glowers could send shivers down the bravest of people’s spines.

 

 As he stepped forward, he was stopped by the guards suddenly thrusting their spears in front of the peasant, blocking the way to his destination. One of them spoke.

 

 “State your business.” His voice was low and rough and his tone was stone cold, as if he didn’t care if the man he was speaking to were to suddenly die. Julian cleared his throat and nervously tugged at the end of his raggedy, worn shirt.

 

 “My name is Julian Marcel. I-I’ve come because I’ve heard you were looking for people to employ as servants..?” Julian cringed inwardly at the accidental stutter. The thing about these kind of people is to show you’re not intimidated by them, and he already failed that.

 

 The two men looked at each other before retreating their weapons, one of them calling to open the gate.

 

 “When you go in, take the right path to the living quarters. You want to talk to Amin, the quartermaster. He’s kinda tall, has darker skin than you. Fluffy hair. You can’t miss him.” The other guard said, dropping the scary persona he had just seconds before, “And don’t think about doing anything stupid. We’re always watching.”

 

 Julian stepped, thanking the two men gratefully, before making his way inside.

 

 One of the first things he noticed about the field inside the castle’s walls was that the people were right about the rabbit population, as dozens of the white creatures scattered into multiple directions as soon as he stepped onto the green grass. He jumped as he heard the gate behind him slam shut, the guards getting back into their positions. He decided to take a few seconds to take in the scenery before him.

 

 The field was gorgeous! Green grass stretched as far as the eye can see, the castle and other buildings could be seen in the distance. Trees stood idle across the field, some baring different kinds of exotic fruit while some were just plain oak trees, but provided cool shade for anyone suffering from the summer sun’s fiery reign. He felt the soft grass tickle between his toes, making a quiet giggle in response. Whoever the groundkeeper was, they were doing a beautiful job maintaining this place.

 

 He looked down at the multiple paths that cut through the fields and lead the person following them to where they wished to go. Julian took a right, holding what little art supplies he brought with him close to his chest, which wasn’t much anyways, as it was just a couple rolls of papers and a few pieces of used up charcoal.

 

 As Julian walked, he found himself walking around the edge of a forest, a few paths leading into the wooded area. But he didn’t stray and kept walking, until he saw someone he never expected to see.

 

 Now, just seeing someone of the royal family was enough to be considered lucky. But seeing the prince of the Chicago Kingdom was a sight to behold.

 

 As far as he knew, no one knew what the prince looked like, as people say that he has never left the castle’s walls before. Of course Julian dismissed them because he knew it wasn’t true. He’s never seen him in person, but back at the orphanage, he remember the mistress saying that the young prince was visiting the kingdom to play with his friends of the royal family. But that was well over a decade ago, so he doesn’t blame anyone who claims the young man never left the palace.

 

 He was tall and skinny, with beautiful sun-kissed skin. His short brown locks were blown out of his face so those blue eyes of his could focus on the book he didn’t seem to be able to absorb himself in. He watched as his azure orbs moved left to right, attempting to invest himself into the inked words in front of him. Julian wished he knew what it was like to read. He’s never even opened a book before. He noted that the prince would make a small noise to clear his throat as he turned the page, seeming to get more and more frustrated to focus on what was written on the paper.

 

 He heard him sigh, giving up on his endeavor, as he removed the reading glasses he was wearing, lowering the novel down to his lap. It was then when he looked up that blue met brown and the tanned man’s heart began to race, threatening to break out of his chest. He hadn’t even realized that he stopped walking a long time ago.

 

 Their staring contest then broke when the prince raised his palm, giving the man a small wave. Julian snapped out of his trance, before he suddenly felt the heat rise to his face as the other attempting to interact with him. He promptly bolted off down the path, leaving the prince alone to question why he had done that.

 

 He finally found himself at what he assumed to be the living quarters for the servants. There were small, rectangle shaped buildings that wrap around a dirt cove, at the center was a flag pole that showed off the kingdom’s flag. The buildings looked like they were kept in poor condition, making Julian huff in distaste. He then begin to look around. People, who Julian assumed were workers, walked in and out of the buildings, majority of them were dressed in raggedy clothing, but they seemed to be in better condition then Julian’s current attire.

 

 He saw a dark skinned man wiping the sweat off his brow as he read something off the piece of paper in his hand, his downy hair bounced as he turned his head and made eye contact with Julian. He jumped when he saw him gesture towards him to come here. Julian obliged, making his way to the man, “Excuse me, are you Amin-“

 

 “Yes I am. What’s your name? Why are you here?” Amin spoke almost dully, like this is the umpteenth time he has said that today. Though he seemed to be one of those straight to the point kind of people, his voice was gentle and even friendly to a certain extent.

 

 “I’m Julian Marcel. I came here for the job. But I have no idea if you’re even accepting or not-“

 

 “You’re hired.”

 

 “Wait, really?” Julian seemed taken aback as the sudden response. He didn’t think they would just hire him on the spot, considering that they’re not doing some kind of background check or anything of that sort. Amin just chuckled amusingly, “Here, I’ll show you to your room and get you into some better clothes.”

 

 Amin led the other into one of the many buildings. There wasn’t much inside, just bunk beds that were scattered across the room with a fire place on one wall, as well as some tables and chairs. Amin made his way to a bottom bunk bed, “You’ll be sleeping here. This is one of the newer quarters so you’re lucky! You're going to be sleeping in one of the cleaner ones!” He said very lightheartedly, but when Julian looked around, it didn’t seem all that clean to him.

 

 “I noticed you brought some stuff with you.” Amin pointed to the supplies Julian was holding with his pen, “You can put that in the drawer under your bed. Just don’t put anything too valuable in there. We’re not responsible if something ends up being stolen.” He pointed to the long drawer that sat under his bunk, “Your clothes should already be in there. You start work tomorrow. I’ll give you your assignment early in the morning, so don’t stay up all night. Make sure your clothes fit and if they don’t, let me know. But in the meantime, you can just look around and get yourself acquainted for the day. And if I find out you’re some low-life thief, I won’t hesitate to turn you in to the king and queen themselves. So stay out of trouble. Got it?”

 

 Julian nodded in understandment, which in response he got a cheerful smile and a ruffle of his hair from the other, “Good, then we understand each other. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me or your fellow roommates. I need to go now, good luck… Er… Jewel was it? Well, later!” Before Julian could even get a chance to correct the man, he already made a beeline for the exit.

 

 And thus, began Julian life as a servant for the Brownbinski family. Julian never complained though. It wasn’t so bad if you ignore the few bad apples who tend to dick around with the newbies. Majority of the people Julian worked with found themselves to be in the same situation as him— A poor peasant with not a dollar to their name, coming to the kingdom in hopes of making a living, only to find out that they aren’t actually getting paid for their efforts. Julian found out you only make money if you’re recognized as hard working, so until then your payment is the roof over your head, the food on your table, and the clothes on your back, which is something Julian couldn't really complain about if it’s keeping him alive. Not to mention that he finds himself crossing paths with the prince and his terrifying bodyguard often. They’ve never spoken a word to each other. It’s more like their first encounter where they would have their little staring contest before one or the other would dismiss themselves out of the situation.

 

 Julian’s job usually consists of cleaning, mostly sweeping the floors of the kitchen, dining room, and throne room. You actually learn a bit about royalty when you work for them. Like for example, they don’t sit on their throne all the time. In fact, they rarely go into the throne room at all unless it’s for a ceremonial or something along those lines. Another thing is that you don’t see the king or queen often, especially the king. He was told that the king is usually out of the kingdom in conferences with the other rulers. The queen, however, is often seen talking with the noblemen and lords of the kingdom. He wasn’t sure what her role was, but it was most likely to keep things in check here in the kingdom while her husband is away.

 

 Another thing: you’ll never see the king, queen, and prince together in the same room. Ever. Even during times where the family is suppose to be together like dinnertime. It’s usually just the prince sitting by himself at the long dining room table, propping himself with his arm as he picks at his food. It’s a sad sight to see, really. On rare occasions, the queen will join him, but never the king. He doesn’t think he has ever seen the king eat, in fact. He assumes the male monarch just eats on his own time.

 

 He remembered one time, after gaining the trust of Amin, he was assigned to go a special hall towards the entrance of the palace and clean off the dust off the king’s weaponry collection. Usually, no one is allowed to touch them, due to how many people come in and claim they've come to work, only to leave in cuffs toward the chopping block with a charge of thievery. But Amin is talented in reading people, and knew Julian’s intentions right from the start, and knew that he could trust him with his important task.

 

 It would’ve gone fine, if he didn’t see an empty case where one of the ruler’s swords should’ve been when he was in the middle of dusting. He ran to tell Amin soon after, which only made the quartermaster doubt his trust in Julian, and was sent to his sleeping quarters for the rest of the day. He was later off the hook when it was revealed that the prince was the one who stole the sword. When Julian asked Amin why would he steal from his own father, he responded, “Prince Mason will often do things to grab the attention of the king and queen, even if it gets him in trouble. It’s a bit sad when you think about it. Poor lad doesn’t get a whole lotta love from his folks, so I can see why he does the things he does.”

 

 Amin apologized for doubting Julian and sent him back to work.

 

 That wasn’t the last time he found himself in one of those situations again.

 

 He was instructed to clean the dust off the windows in one of the many hallways on the second floor, when he looked down through one of the stained glass panes to see a beautiful garden below. The garden seemed to be organized in breeds, rather than color, but that made it explode out in a spectrum of colors and gave it a very appealing look to it. He then quickly noticed the prince had came in and crouched down, before he began to pull out the blue flowers that were all huddled up in a bunch. His face was blank, as if he didn’t know he was killing such rare beauties. His movements were careless, like he was deep in thought. Julian scowled at his actions. Why was he ruining such a beautiful garden? Especially when whoever planted and tended to that garden was probably very coordinated and passionate about it. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone come in. He turned his attention to the intruder and saw that it was the queen. He quickly bowed his head, as he was told that was what he was suppose to do when in the presence of a member of the royal family until they say to rise or until they leave the room.

 

 He felt the nervous sweat on his brow as the monarch made her way to one of the window doors that led to a balcony, making a gesture to the man that he could stand, “Are you cleaning these?” She asked, pointing to the window. Julian nodded, “You’re doing a great job. It’s about time we get some hard workers around here!” He sent a sweet smile toward the servant, who responded with a simple “Thank you, your highness.” and a quick bow, feeling his chest swell up with pride.

 

 She was about to depart when she stopped herself, her smile dropping. Julian thought she may of caught something he missed until she rushed to step outside onto the balcony.

 

 “Mason Brownbinski! You better stop pulling my flowers this instance, young man!” The queen shrieked, evidently enraged at the scene before her. Julian looked down at the young man and audibly gasped at how the prince pulled out another flower while he stared directly into the eyes of his mother. His mother made a loud frustrated grunt as she ran back inside, slamming the doors behind her.

 

 “I can’t stand this child! I don’t have time to confront him now, I have a meeting I need to attend right now…” She drifted off in thought, rubbing her temples, before jabbing his finger towards Julian, “You! I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I need you to go down there and distract him. And hurry too, he’s gonna wipe out my garden at this rate!” Before Julian could even protest, the queen was already heading down the hallway, “Thank you, sweetie!” And with that, she was gone. Julian sighed and dropped the rag he was using to clean before turning his attention to the prince outside, who was still destroying the garden. He better hurry.

 

 The whole way he thought about what he would say and what he would do, but every thought trailed off to where his anxiety would tell him whatever he was thinking about would be a bad idea, so he would throw away any ideas he had that may help distract the young man from his path of destruction. When he was at his destination, he found himself completely dumbfounded. He took noticed that the prince had raised his head when he heard him walk in, but didn’t turn to face him. He was going to tap his back to grab his attention, but completely forgot that he was in the presence of royalty and it would be rude to touch him. Quickly fixing his mistake, Julian got on his knees and bowed and stayed there, not sure if he should say something or not. He heard the sound of the prince turn around. He was looking at him. God, he must look so stupid right now. Should he look up? Should he say something? Should he-

 

 “Get up. You don’t have to do that.” Julian clutched at his own chest, as this was the first time he ever heard the prince speak. His voice was so calm and quiet, as if he didn’t use his vocal cords much. He spoke with confidence and his tone seemed dull but fragile. Shit, he could just feel the blood flowing to his cheeks.

 

 “I said get up.”

 

 Julian jumped, realizing his mistake before raising his head, “I’m sorry, your highness-!”

 

 “Don’t worry about it.” The prince reached to grab another flower before he stopped himself, “Where’s my mother?”

 

“She… Uh…” Julian bit his bottom lip, unable to form coherent sentences, “W-Went to a meeting, Prince Mason. I’m very sorry. She sent me here to keep you company…”

 

 Mason sighed, “Of course she did…” He said that more to himself than to the servant, before he looked at Julian with those baby blue eyes. Julian held his breath, “You can call me Ding Dong if you'd like, you know.”


	3. Crown of Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rumor come out, does Julian is gay ??

 Ding Dong was such a strange name to use to Julian, as that seemed to be something you would use to call out a foolish man. A query raged on in the man’s head that questioned the other’s nickname and asked why he would prefer that over his real name.

 

 “Yes, I will, I’m sorry-“

 

 “You apologize a lot.”

 

 Julian bit the inside of his cheek, “O-Oh, I do? I’m sorr-“

 

 “You’re doing it again!” The prince’s tone turned out more playful then he intended it to be, but he emitted a light chuckle anyways. Julian felt butterflies in his stomach as he nervously laughed with him. The young man had a beautiful laugh, albeit short and quiet.

 

 “How long have you been working here?” Ding Dong felt like he already knew the answer, but he didn’t want this to end up in one of the many awkward moments he had already had with this man before.

 

 “About a couple months.”

 

 “Is it fun?” He gripped the flower’s stem, “I would think not.”

 

 “You shouldn’t be picking those flowers, Ding Dong.”

 

 “Why not? Because my mom said so?” His tone dropped to that of an annoyed one. Shit,  “She’s not even here. She’s always so busy. Oh but, she had the time to talk to you and send you down here, but not the time to talk to me herself.” And with that, the flower was harshly yanked out with a quiet, angry grunt, before it was dropped into the grass, before he reached for another.

 

 “Well, you have to understand that your parents are very busy, and I’m sure if they had the time, they would gla-“

 

 “AH! FUCK!” The prince suddenly yanked his hand back, gripping at his index finger. Julian jumped, “What’s wrong!?”

 

 “The stupid fucking flower pricked me!” He revealed his finger out to the servant. There was a cut at the tip of his index finger, a single drop of blood flowed out of the small gash and dripped onto the ground below them.

 

 “Hold on, give me your finger!” Julian effortlessly tore a long piece of his shirt sleeve off and grabbed the prince’s hand to wrap the piece of fabric around his finger, being careful as to not hurt the younger man as he worked.

 

 Ding Dong stared at the peasant in awe at his fast thinking, but also scowled at the condition of his clothes. He gets that there were going to be budget cuts due to all the money going to resources, but this was just ridiculous.

 

 But at least now he had a good look at the older man. His skin was a warm brown color, his greasy, long black hair was tied up in a ponytail that draped carelessly on his back. It was evident the man didn’t shave much, as his chin and jawline was coated with facial hair, a cute little beard curled up on the tip of his chin. The man also had a thin, long mustache and these ember brown eyes you could easily get lost in. His large hands completely engulfed his much smaller ones as he tended to the small injury on his finger. He was warm. Very warm. Despite being in the summer heat, the heat radiating from the wider man was comforting in a weird way, and helped him relax as he finally realized that he was in good hands.

 

 “How’s that? Too tight?” Julian asked, looking up at the prince as he tied the tips of the fabric together so it wouldn’t come undone.

 

 “It’s fine, thank you.” He said as he took a look at the servant’s work as the darker man scooted back to give Ding Dong space.

 

 “Are you going to stop picking the flowers now?” Julian meant for it to come off as being a playful tease, but it accidentally turned more into a serious question. But either way, the prince responded with a nod of his head as he adjusted himself to sit comfortably in the soft grass, not knowing what to do next.

 

 The duo sat there in silence, the occasional breeze flowing through to cool them off under the heat. Sometimes, a dying flower would be picked up by the wind and carried off into the air. Julian looked at the scattered flowers, thinking of a way to make use for them. It would just be a waste to leave them dying there, right?

 

 “Hey! You know how to make a flower crown?” The peasant asked, getting a shake of a head in response, “Here, I’ll show you!” Julian cheered as he reached for one of the flowers on the ground.

 

 “As long as you take those damn thorns out, I would be delighted to have you teach me.” The prince responded with a gentle smiling, watching the other peel the thorns off the flower he was holding, before grabbing another and stripping it of its only line of defense.

 

 “So… It’s actually pretty easy. Usually you use a wire or a headband, but I could make one without it.” He poked a hole in the stem with his nail, “You just… Uh… Break a hole through the stem without damaging it, then you thread the other flower stem through…” He trailed off as he attempted to focus, inserted the end of the stem through the hole, “Aaand you just keep doing that until you get to the size you want! It takes practice though. I destroyed a lot of flowers trying to figure it out.” The two chuckled in unison.

 

 “Oh hey, mind helping me by picking the thorns off the flowers and I can thread them together?” Julian asked the prince, “Sure, I could do that.” Ding Dong responded as he picked up an already pulled flower and went to the work.

 

 The two worked in silence, until the prince was done with his part was starting to get bored. He scanned over the grassy land and caught a pair of long, white ears flickering, attempting to hide itself. Julian didn’t even notice until he heard the prince click his tongue and make a kissy noise, calling the bunny over and reassure it that there was nothing to be scared about. The bunny hopped over to where the young man was sitting, nuzzling up against his thigh, before he reached to pick the small furry creature up and cradle it in his arms.

 

 “They seem to really like you, huh?” That was all Julian could really say. The prince nodded, “I mean, it _is_ my fault we have an overpopulation problem. So of course they have to like me.”

 

 “Shut up! It is not!” Julian snickered to himself.

 

 “It’s true! I asked my father for a white bunny and he gave me this beautiful bunny he bought out of the country. I named her Timothy, not knowing it was a girl at the time. One day, she somehow got out and came back a couple days later pregnant. And the rest is history.” He stroked the mammal on his lap, “These things multiply like crazy.”

 

 “Well, at least your father was nice enough to get you a bunny.”

 

 “Eh, he’ll get me anything if it means I’ll leave him alone.” Julian cringed to himself at the prince’s response, “Oh, I’m sorry.”

 

 “It’s fine.” He paused, “Do you want to hold it? It doesn’t have rabies or anything. I checked.”

 

 “I’m going to pass, need to focus on this. But thanks for the offer.” Ding Dong nodded in understandment, nuzzling the animal one last time before releasing it to run off and play.

 

 “So what’s with you in bunnies?” Julian asked, not straying from his work, but wanting to keep the conversation going. Ding Dong pondered over the question, “Hm… I don’t know.” He said, “I just… Like how bunnies look, especially the white ones. And they’re cute and quiet and friendly too…”

 

 “Kinda like you, huh?”

 

 “Are you calling me cute?” Julian sucked in his breath, registering his mistake, “No! Wait! That’s not what I meant! I mean, I’m not saying you’re not appealing or anything! I just- Hey! Stop laughing!”

 

 This time, the prince’s laugh was more heartfelt and vocal. Julian felt like he was going to pass out from the heat in his cheeks combined with the heat, “I-I’m sorry!”

 

 “You don’t need to apologize all the time.” Ding Dong said as he pulled at the grass beneath him for a few moments, “How’s that crown going?”

 

 “Hm? Oh, it’s going great! I’m almost done in fact. Mind handing me one more? I need to tie it all together.”

 

 The prince handed him the final flower, watching him carefully threading the stems together to finish up his masterpiece, “Done!” He raised it up, taking in his work, “May I?”

 

 Ding Dong knew exactly what he was asking and bowed his head forward slightly, before he felt those large hands put the headwear on his head. He raised his head, “How does it look?”

 

 “It looks…” Julian smiled, “Beautiful. It really goes with your eyes… and your outfit.” Ding Dong didn’t noticed that the tunic he was wearing was the same blue-purple color with golden highlights. He smiled to himself, his sense of self-worth growing before him.

 

 Julian just looked on at the young prince, awestruck. He really did look beautiful, and the genuine smile that crept onto his soft, pale face made his stomach do flips. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen the prince so genuinely happy before. He was always so monotonic and blank, but now he’s one of the few that has Ding Dong’s true colors, and it was so satisfying to him.

 

 Julian was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard distance shouting. He turned to see Ding Dong’s bodyguard make his way over to the duo.

 

 “Dee! Get your ass inside, dinner’s ready!” Chris shouted, before walking back inside.

 

 Ding Dong then rised, Julian following, “I should get going now. Thank you for the crown… and the talk. I don’t usually have company with me so today was something… new, for me.”

 

 “Dee! Let’s go! Now!” Chris yelled from inside the palace, clearly impatient.

 

 “Coming!” He shouted back, before turning back to Julian, “Maybe we can do this again tomorrow? We can meet back here?”

 

 “Uh… Yeah, that sounds great.”

 

 “Good, I’ll see you then.” The prince turned and began to walk before suddenly stopping himself, “Ah! I almost forgot! I never asked for your name.”

 

 Julian gave a small chuckle, “It’s alright, your highness, I’m Julian.”

 

 “Julian.” He smiles back, “I’ll remember it. Until then.” Then he disappeared inside the castle, leaving the tan man to his thoughts.

 

* * *

 

 Later that night, the male found himself laying on his back on his bed, a piece of paper being propped up by his legs and a piece of charcoal in his hand. Although the candle beside him was his only light source, he did his best to make his drawing as detailed as he could. _His hair barely surpasses his ears_ , Julian notes mentally, _His frame was small and skinny, but not too much to be considered unhealthy_.

 

 “Whatcha drawing?”

 

 Julian jumped and quickly hid his work from one of his many roommates, which was a short woman with blonde hair. She looked no older than 20, “Ah! Nothing!”

 

 “Is it the prince? I heard you talked with him today!” She giggled as she sat on the floor by his bed, her elbows on his mattress as she propped herself up with her hands. Another servant jumped in, “I heard too! The queen sent you herself, right?”

 

 “The queen talked to you!?” Another chipped in, a male this time, “Now ain’t that something?”

 

 “I saw him earlier today!” One of the maids jumped in, “He seemed in a very mood!”

 

 “Did you two kiss?” Yet another one piped in, one of the younger women.

 

 “No!” Julian was getting sick of the heat in his cheeks by now, “It’s not like that!”

 

 “We’re just joking with you, Jules!” The blonde woman elbowed Julian playfully, “It’s okay if you like the prince. He really is cute.”

 

 “Really? You guys don’t think that’s a bit weird?” Julian asked, “I mean… He is another man…”

 

 “What’s wrong with that?” Someone asked.

 

 “Yeah, I don’t see a problem with that!” The younger one spoke again.

 

 “You know, Prince Matt from the Super-Mega Kingdom recently married another man,” A man who was sitting on his bunk across the room said, “Think the man was named Ryan Magee, very nice looking, heard he has a beautiful laugh. They’re the kings now.”

 

 “Oh! I’ve heard about that! I’m so glad that happened! Maybe now people wouldn’t be so quick to judge people who prefer the same sex!”

 

 Julian sat there, astonished, “Really? When did this happen?”

 

 “Oh, about a month ago.” The other man responded, “I’m surprised you didn’t noticed. King Matt visits here often with him. They’re all real friendly with the king and queen here. That bodyguard of the prince’s too. Heard he used to work with the two.”

 

 “Wow…” Julian smiled to himself, “Well, that’s great! Good for them!” Good for himself, as well. Relief washed over him.

 

 _It’s okay to feel this way_ , Julian thought to himself reassuringly, _This is okay._

 

 About a half hour later, the lights went off and he put what he had been drawing away and laid down into his bed, drifting off to a dream of crowns, bunnies, and flowers.


	4. Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's any inconsistency in this, let me know. I really wanted to get this chapter out because I was planning on getting it out the other day but I recently got an injection in my jaw so I've been in pain for like 3 days straight. The only way to relieve it is sleep. So if something looks wrong, let me know, thanks!

 A time was never given on when they would meet up. Julian was never sure of Ding Dong’s schedule, but he would often see him outside after he has eaten— and by eating, he means poking at his food for half hour before dismissing himself— lunch. So Julian would finish his assignment for the day before noon and head to the garden when the sun was at the middle of the cloudy sky.

 

 He felt the need to bring something. A gift, of sorts. But he couldn’t put his finger on what. He considered getting some kind of food that wasn’t cooked in the boundaries of the palace, but decided against it as he already didn’t have enough money as it is. Besides, Amin was immensely against servants leaving the castle walls without special permission anyways.

 

 He stood at the edge of the garden, the bouquet of wild blue flowers being fondled with in his hands. He praised whatever was above that today was a bit more cloudy then usual, the white fluffiness occasionally providing its protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

 

 Minutes dragged on for what seemed like hours and Julian finally came to the realization that when you wait for something, time seems to move more slowly. And he hates it.

 

 He was about to give up and come back in another hour or so until he heard a door open and Ding Dong emerge from his large house. His clothes looked surprisingly casual for a prince to wear— a simple brown shirt and a pair of blank pants. A couple of books were held close to his chest, and a pair of reading glasses sitting on his nose, as he approached the servant, “Hello, Julian.” He simply said, sending him a small but friendly grin, “What’s that behind your back?”

 

 Julian fidgeted with the flowers that he hid behind his back, leaning back on his heels, “I… Uh… Brought you something… I don’t know if it’s appropriate or not but here.” He revealed to the flowers to the prince, who advanced towards him to take and observe them, “They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Ding Dong set the flowers on top of his books, “Did you leave the palace to find them? I know they are native here but we don’t have any in the garden.”

 

 “Yeah, I did.” Julian chuckled lightly, “Don’t tell Amin.”

 

 “I won’t. I like you. I don’t think he would care anyways.” Ding Dong said as he gestured to his books, “I asked my father to buy me more books and a few came in today… I was wondering if you would like to read them… with me?”

 

 Julian gulped. He would think the prince would’ve known the tan man was illiterate. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to learn to read, it was just that they were never able to pay for any at the orphanage.

 

 Actually, that was a lie. The old mistress would buy books for herself using not her own money, but the money from the budget that was suppose to be used to care for the children. The worse part was that she didn’t allow any of the children to touch them. He remember when she was gone one day, and he picked up one of her books and attempted to read it. He couldn’t remember the title, as he couldn’t understand a single word written in the novel. It all seemed like chicken scratch to him. But he remember what the cover looked like— the cover was a dark red color, with carvings of pumpkins, ghosts, and demons on the corners of the book. The title of the book was written in big golden letters. He remember there were two words, and a few smaller letters under it, who he assumed was the author’s name.

 

 He never got caught reading the book, thank God. He didn’t want to spend another night in The Room.

 

 “Hey… You there?”

 

 “Hm..?” Julian snapped out of his thoughts. Ding Dong stood in front of him, a look of concern on his face.

 

 “You know, this was a silly idea, really…” He began to trail off, “I’ll go put these up and we can do something-“

 

 “No! Wait!” Julian jumped up, surprising the prince, “It’s okay, we can read if you want!”

 

 “Really?” Ding Dong made a bijou smile, “Thank you. Here, I’ll even let you pick one out.” Before Julian could protest, the prince turned and started to walk off, “Come, I know a good spot.”

 

* * *

 

 Ding Dong was right about this spot being good. In fact, it was downright perfect. The tree they sat under was tall, with large branches that shot out in different directions. Emerald leaves covered them up to give the generous gift of shade to anyone who would sit under it. Parts of the roots would stick out of the ground and back into the earth again, making them perfect seats. The tree also bared small red fruits; apples, Julian believes. Julian wasn’t sure what kind of apple they were, but they looked awfully fresh and crispy. He would reach up to grab one and take a bite but the fruit was too much out of his reach.

 

 Ding Dong sat down, his back leaning against the tree’s trunk. He set the bouquet beside him before showing the book covers into Julian face, “So, which one peaks your interest?”

 

 If Julian was honest, none of them caught his eyes. Each one had a bland cover with boring text on the front that he couldn’t read, so he just pointed to one of them randomly, “Uh… How about this one?”

 

 Ding Dong took a look at the book and scowled at it, “Really? This one?” Julian swallowed, knowing he chose the wrong book, “Hm, well, alright. Shouldn’t judge a book by its cover I guess.”

 

 The book was opened, set on Julian’s right thigh and on Ding Dong’s left, and held on the sides by one or the other. Julian felt dizzy at how such small text could bunch up like that. They sat there for a few moments, as he just stared at the first word, attempting to decipher it in his head before Ding Dong spoke.

 

 “Let me know when you’re done so I can turn the page.”

 

 “Jesus, you’re done already?”

 

 “Ah, apologies. I’m a fast reader.” The prince replied, making an light, but embarrassed chuckle, “I can slow down if you want me to.”

 

 “No, you don’t have to!” Julian replies, “You can turn the page if you want.”

 

 Ding Dong gave a small nod and turned to the next page. Julian didn’t even try to understand anything on the paper this time and just focused on Ding Dong.

 

 His eyes looked through his reading glasses as they scanned over the text quickly, their blue orbs moving left to right. It reminded him of his first encounter with the prince. He looked over at his injured finger from yesterday and saw that the fabric was gone and was replaced with actual bandage. If Julian listened closely enough, he could hear Ding Dong mumble the words he was reading under his breath. It was quiet, yet relaxing, and he didn’t seem to notice he was saying them out loud. Julian could fall asleep to it if he really wanted to. He kept his eyes on the book but focused on the words the prince was reading out to himself.

 

 He learned the book was about a young boy named Bippy, who has to go through different trials to get back home, as he was separated from his family. Bippy adored white bunnies and he was a quiet talker, so he can understand why the prince seemed so invested in this story, as he could relate to the boy.

 

 After a while though, Ding Dong stopped his mumbling and stared straight down at the page, but from the looks of it, it didn’t look like he was reading at all. It was almost like he had spaced off. He then suddenly looked over at Julian from the corner of his eye, “Are you even reading this?”

 

 The question took Julian aback, “Eh… If I’m honest, no.”

 

 “Do you not like it? Should I find another one?”

 

 “No, it’s not that-“

 

 “Then what is it?”

 

 Julian bit his bottom lip, trying to form words together to emit his confession, “I, well… I can’t read… at all.”

 

 Ding Dong raised his brows, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner!? I would’ve suggested we do something else!”

 

 Julian gave an uneasy chuckle, “I guess I didn’t want you to think I was stupid or anything… I mean, it is kinda embarrassing.”

 

 “It’s not embarrassing!” Ding Dong shouted, “In fact, I feel embarrassed for assuming you knew. I’m so sorry.” He closed the book.

 

 “It’s fine. You mumbling the words helped me understand what the Hell was happening anyways-“

 

 “I WAS MUMBLING!?” Ding Dong cupped his flushing cheeks, “I-I DIDN’T MEAN TO! I’M SORRY-!”

 

 “Ha! Look who’s apologizing now!?” Julian teased, laughing at the glowing prince attempting to cover his face in embarrassment.

 

 It was a hot minute before the prince could recollect himself, stacking the books he brought in a pile beside him and taking his glasses off, “What do we do now?”

 

 “We can just,” Julian paused, “Talk maybe?”

 

 Ding Dong nodded, “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

 

* * *

 

 

 “Damn, that little thing didn't hesitate to hop right into your lap, huh?”

 

 Ding Dong held in a snicker as a white rabbit jumped into the prince’s lap. It was awfully small, compared to the others, so it must’ve been recently born. Julian finds it interesting how even though it was just born, it already trusts humans, or at least one human.

 

 “I’m always there when one of the pregnant rabbits give birth. So I assume they kind of… imprint on me.” Ding Dong responded, as if he read Julian’s thoughts, “I usually name them but I don’t think I’ve named this one yet. Any ideas?”

 

 Julian thought for a moment, looking at the baby bunny that was staring right back at him, it’s little pink nose twitching at him.

 

 “What about Bippy?” Julian asked, reaching to pet the animal, “It looks like a Bippy.”

 

 “Bippy, huh?” Ding Dong smiled, “I like it. Bippy it is.”

 

 Silence filled the air once again. If it was any quieter, you could hear the baby rabbit’s breathing. Julian decided to speak, “Speaking of names, why do you like to be called Ding Dong?”

 

 Ding Dong stroked Bippy’s head, registering the question, “It was a name my friends used to call me. When I was little, I was allowed to go to the other kingdoms to play with the other princes and princesses. They said I always had my head in the clouds, and I would space out. They snapped me out of it by yelling and calling me a ‘Ding Dong’. The name stuck after that. I’m not sure why I still prefer that name over my actual one. I suppose I just yearn for those older times.”

 

“What happened?”

 

 “You don’t know?” He looked over at Julian, genuinely confused, “Prince Jon, the prince of the Grump Kingdom and one of my dearest friends, was murdered in cold blood. No one ever found out who did it. In fact, it’s still a mystery to this day. People suspected that it was a rival kingdom seeking revenge, as threats to murder royalty were spreading around at the time. After that, the gates of my home closed and they didn’t open for years. I’ve been stuck here ever since.” He huffed a depressed sigh, “And I never saw my friends again.”

 

 “Oh.” Julian frowned, “I’m sorry about that.”

 

 “You didn’t do anything. So don’t waste your breath to apologize.” He paused, before making a sad smile, “You know, I still find myself spacing out every once in a while, like I’m in some spell. I haven’t really noticed because no one ever brings it up.”

 

 “What about your bodyguard?”

 

 “Chris? He’s never around to. He never actually does what he’s suppose to do. Not that I care though. He’s funny, but he’s also cold towards others. Impatient too.”

 

 “Where does he go when he’s not with you?”

 

 “He would either drink or sleep with women. I swear that he has had more partners than anyone. They don’t last long, though.”

 

 “He sounds lovely.” Julian joked, resulting in a giggle from the prince, “I know I probably talk bad about him often, but he’s a real sweetheart to me when he wants to be. He just doesn’t want others to know. But enough about me, what’s your story? Why are you here?”

 

 “Well…” Julian leaned back against the tree trunk, arms folded behind his head, “I didn’t have much of a choice. Needed somewhere to go. Came here. And here I am.”

 

 “Oh, I’m sure there’s more to it than that.” Ding Dong reassured, “Where you born here?”

 

 “Nah. Was born in the Ani Kingdom. But I left years ago.”

 

 “The Ani Kingdom, huh?” Julian nodded, “What made you leave?”

 

 Julian sucked in air, before exhaling, “I… couldn’t find work anymore.”

 

 “Why not?”

 

 “It’s complicated. I don’t think you’ll understand.”

 

 “What makes you think I can’t?” Ding Dong scowled, “I’m sure I will, or at least I’ll try.”

 

 “You’re right. I shouldn’t assume things, I’m sorry.” Julian sighed in defeat, “But I… prefer to be with a man than a woman.”

 

 “What’s wrong with that?” The prince raised a brow.

 

 “Because throughout my whole fucking life, that’s been the reason I can’t be happy!” Julian shouted in frustration, scaring Bippy off Ding Dong’s lap and into the grass, “Everywhere I go, I’m always screamed at and even fucking attacked because I like men! No one would hire me! No one would take me in, and I was so sick of it!” He pulled at his own black locks almost hard enough to rip them off his head. He tensed up as he felt hot tears began to form in the corners of his eyes, “Is there something wrong with me!? Am I not allow to love who I want!?”

 

 He felt a small, comforting hand touch touch his shoulder. The prince’s voice was soothing and gentle, “Of course you are. People are just scared of unknown or different concepts, and don’t know how to properly react to it. They only understand what they’ve been exposed to or what they were taught. There is nothing wrong with you, you just got caught up with the wrong people. I would never hurt you because of who you love, and I’ll make sure others do the same while you’re here.”

 

 Julian suddenly felt thin arms wrap around his torso, soft thumbs rubbing slow circles into his back, “I shouldn’t have asked. I didn’t think you would get upset. But I’m here, and I support you.” 

 

 Julian slowly hugged the other back, steadily calming himself down.

 

 “And, if I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t be disgusted if the one I loved was another man. I wouldn’t care if they were a woman either. As long as we’re happy together, what’s wrong with it, right?”

 

 Julian pulled away from the embrace, having calmed down, “God, this is stupid.” He chuckled dryly as he wiped his eyes, “I can’t believe I’m crying.”

 

 “Don’t feel bad about feeling bad, Julian. You looked like you needed that. It’s not healthy to keep strong emotions repressed like that.” Ding Dong sent him a warm smile, which was returned with Julian’s own.

 

 “It’s funny, really. This place was actually my final option.” He chuckled to himself, “Glad I came here though.”

 

 “I’m really glad you came here too.”

 

 “Really?” Julian looked at the prince with stars in his eyes.

 

 “Yes. I know I’ve only known you for a day, but I really do enjoy the time we’ve spent together.”

 

 “It doesn’t have to end, you know?”

 

 “Yes, I know. And honestly, I don’t want it to end. But all good things must come to an end.” He looked up at the sky, “Speaking of which, I really should be going.” He stood up, having grabbed the bouquet of flowers.

 

 Julian hadn’t noticed the sun was beginning to set. The air around him seemed to cool as well. Have they really been here that long?

 

 “But we’re on for tomorrow, right?” Julian asked hopefully. Ding Dong gave a small smile, “Of course. We can meet here at the same time?”

 

 “Yeah! Of course!” Julian sounded a bit more excited then he wanted to.

 

 “Heh, I’ll see you then, Julian.” And turned, the bouquet and books held close to his chest as he walked off, hopes of tomorrow already racing in his head.


	5. A Song I Wrote for You

 Ding Dong would be a liar if he said he didn’t enjoy his time with Julian. This man, whom had provided him of the company and fulfillment he had been looking for ever since he was locked up in this damned castle, seemed to be one of the only people to understand the prince and the situation he was being put in.

 

 Everything about Julian was so extraordinary in Ding Dong’s impressed eyes: his dark amber eyes were so welcoming and warm that it could melt the coldest of hearts. His cheeks so soft and squeezable— and his reaction to others pinching his cheeks was just a whole another adorable trait of its own— and his smile was too genuine to deceive. His big hands that could easily engulf his own were always so gentle on the other, the tan hands would pool its warmth into his, and his thumbs would rub over the other’s more pale palms in calming circles when ever Ding Dong felt uneasy or stressed.

 

 And Julian’s laugh. Oh my God, that lighthearted, wheezing laugh the man had. If Ding Dong didn’t know any better, he would think it was a song of the angels.

 

 He wasn’t sure if he was suppose to feel this way, if he wanted to feel this way. A single thought of this man would cause his chest to ache, only being able to be cured by his cordial presence. He had to say something. He _wanted_ to say something.

 

 Of course the first person he went to _had_ to be Chris.

 

 “Look, Dee.” Chris started, after Ding Dong had finally stopped his ceaseless rambling, “I think it’s great you’ve found someone to converse yourself with. But ever since you’ve been with that boy, your condition have been getting worse.”

 

 “Condition? What are you talking about, Chris. I’m fine.” Ding Dong protested with a pout on his thin lips.

 

 “Bullshit! Have you seen yourself!? For the past weeks, you’ve gotten skinnier and with each passing day, your fucking appearance gets shittier and shittier. And let’s not forgot you haven’t been sleeping well!”

 

 “That’s not Julian’s fault, Chris!” Ding Dong retorted, crossing his arms, “I’ve just been neglecting my self-care. It’s not that big of a dilemma. And besides, I really can’t help it.“

 

 “You better fucking help it. You know damn well I can get him fired in a instant-“

 

 “NO!” Ding Dong’s heart started to pound out of his chest, his hands shaky as panic rushed over him like waves rushing over the sandy shores of a beach, “Please don’t, Chris!” Ding Dong plead in a loud, whiny tone. He was prepared to drop to his knees, beg, and cry if it was deemed necessary, “I can fix this! I’ll be better, I promise!”

 

 Chris grimaced down at the other, before he let out a sigh in defeat, “You better, Mason.” He said, the lowered tone and the fact he used his real name sent shivers down his spine, “I’m worried about you, man. I really am.”

 

 At first, he thought that was the end of it. But then, of course, Julian just had to confront Ding Dong about his growing unhealthy conditions and the whole feeling of panic reared its ugly head in once again.

 

 But Ding Dong attempted to keep his cool and recycle the same excuses he has given him before, that the food served to him was inedible or that Chris kept keeping him up at night with his endeavors with his ever-changing female partners. And though his attempts of assurement were to no avail, Julian decided to just nod in understandment and drop the conversation completely, knowing that Ding Dong seemed uneasy about the subject. Although he didn’t bring the topic up again, Julian still sent constant reminders to Ding Dong that he needed to take care of himself.

 

Ding Dong would say he will after every feeble attempt, and that was the end of it. For now, at least. 

 

* * *

 

 Despite the fact that only a month had passed since he officially met Ding Dong in the garden, Julian already got used— and even grew fond— of his new life in the royal palace. He even went as far as to make a schedule for himself.

 

 In the morning he would awake early, before a speck of orange could make its way into the dark sky, to receive and perform his assigned chore of the day, or assignments if his co-workers decided to play hooky the day before. He would then meet Ding Dong at noon until he departs for dinner. Julian would then return to his sleeping quarters to retire for the night and eat his ration, before he would draw until it’s late enough and his heavy eye lids refuse to stay up anymore.

 

 The activities he would do with the prince differed, or at least tried to differ, each day. One day, Ding Dong would be teaching the illiterate man simple English, another they would pull pranks on the guards until they’re caught and he’s sent to his quarters for the day. Julian’s favorite stunt was stealing the men’s weapons when they weren’t looking and replacing them with stick and branches. The perplexity plastered on their faces was enough to break Ding Dong’s poker face every time.

 

 And the lessons the prince had decided to give the other were tolerate enough. At first, Ding Dong wasn’t sure where he should start, but began with the alphabet and it had went from there. Every Tuesday, they would meet in Ding Dong’s old classroom and start from where he left off at from last Tuesday. Julian actually liked it, believe it or not. His only complaint was the fact Ding Dong was giving him actual homework to do. He never liked the idea of homework. At first Julian objected, stating that he wasn’t some child, but Ding Dong retorted that it was to make sure he was actually paying attention to the prince’s lectures, expect the man never stopped to begin with.

 

* * *

 

 Julian found himself taken aback when Ding Dong decided to cancel class for the day, as instead he lead the servant into a gargantuan, dome-like room that was centered in the middle of the castle. The wooden floors, Julian noted, were void of any furniture, and yet retained a clean, polished look to it. Columns bordered the ends of the room, and ceiling rose into a dome made entirely out of glass so that natural light can make it’s way into the room. Only today was an unusually cloudy day, and so the environment in the room was darkened. Curtains made of a transparent, soft-like fabric hung over the windows that surrounded the area. Although majority of the room was left unfurnished, at the back of the room was a platform with a number of instruments stranded on top of the stage, one of which being a large piano.

 

 Julian finally concluded, after taking in all the features, that this was a ballroom.

 

 He felt the hands that held his own pull gently at his arm, leading the servant to the stage and at the piano.

 

 “I actually play a little bit of piano, did you know that?” Ding Dong had said as he sat down at the piano, pressing down one of the keys as its low sound echoed around the room, “We usually use this room for soirées and all that sort, but when I was little, my mother would play this piano and I would join in and sing what ever song she played. I’ve recently been getting more and more motivation to play, actually.”

 

 “You can sing?” Julian perked up. He didn’t think such a mute yet soft-spoken soul would even had the vocal cords to sing.

 

 “Well… Yeah… I’ve been practicing a lot recently. I’m even writing a song.”

 

 “Really! Can I hear it?”

 

 Ding Dong pursed his lips into a thin line, “Uh… Sure… I suppose.”

 

 He then flipped through the pages of the book that was sitting on the piano, all the musical notes and words that Julian couldn’t understand looked handwritten. He remember Ding Dong referenced that his mother played piano, and decided she most likely writes music in her free time.

 

 The prince made a look of satisfaction when he finally reached the desired page, his fingers then lingered over the correct keys.

 

 Silence echoed throughout the room, before he began to play, the melody slow but simple as he sang in a hushed yet soft voice.

 

 

“ _When we first met,_

_I thought my whole life flew._

_‘Cause when I’m with you,_

_My heart pounds so hard,_

_I think I love you._

 

_When you would leave,_

_My whole world would turn blue._

_‘Cause when I’m with you,_

_Everything makes sense,_

_I think I love you._

 

_If you would run with me,_

_Through the land and through the sea,_

_Then we’ll finally be free,_

_‘Cause this is what we were meant to be._

 

_Guard my heart,_

_It aches for your warm touch._

_‘Cause this is the part,_

_You tell me you love me so much._

 

_When you were gone,_

_Shadows haunted my view,_

_‘Cause when I’m with you,_

_My demons vanish,_

_I think I love you._

 

_When I awake,_

_I hope you’ll be there too._

_‘Cause when I’m with you,_

_I feel so awake,_

_I know I love you._

 

_‘Cause when I’m with you,_

_I know we’ll survive,_

_I know I love you._ “

 

 

 When the prince was finished, he then assembled his hands to rest them on his lap, “It’s not all that impressive, I know. Not only is my voice so quiet, but it was also my first attempt to write my own… W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

 Julian could do nothing but stare at the prince in unadulterated awe. He always knew the other man’s voice was beautiful in its soft-spoken manner, but the way his voice played along with the piano’s music with the sweet, almost cheesy but simplistic lyrics sent shivers down the other’s spine, goosebumps ghosting across his body.

 

 “That is the most sweetest, beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”

 

 “Oh, you don’t mean that!” Ding Dong’s face flushed as his voice raised, “My song writing is mediocre at best. My mother and many other more… talented people can certainly do better..!” As soon as he finished, he spoke again in a lighter tone, “But… Thank you, Julian. I appreciate it.”

 

 “No prob, Dee…” Ding Dong had suddenly jumped at the unexpected nickname, making Julian quickly corrected himself, “I’m sorry, I meant Ding Dong! I-“

 

 “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize… again.” Ding Dong just smiled, “Chris is kind of asshole when he calls me Dee, but I don’t have a problem with you calling me that. In fact, you can call me what ever is the most convenient and comfortable with you. I won’t mind.”

 

 “You sure? ‘Cause I wanna call you what’s comfortable with _you_.”

 

 “Yes, yes, yes! It’s fine, julian, I appreciate the concern but I do not care what you call me!”

 

 “In that case, lemme just call you…” Ding Dong suddenly found Julian’s arms wrapped around his waist, causing him to gasp but not protest, as he was lifted off the cushioned piano seat and swung around, “‘Adorable’! And ‘handsome’!”

 

 Ding Dong laughed and attempted to playfully shove Julian away, “Jooolian! Stooop!”

 

 “What about ‘gorgeous’? Or how about ‘talented’ or ‘stunning’?”

 

 “Stooop iiit!” The prince whined lightheartedly, “You’re making me blush!”

 

 “That’s the point, dingus!”

 

 They shared a laugh together before they both calmed down into silence, Ding Dong’s legs dangling above the ground because of the large arms around his waist. Julian looked up at the other and stared into the other’s half lidded eyes, the grin that was plastered on the prince’s face was ajar as air came in and out. His blue eyes shined of hopefulness and anticipation.

 

 He wanted to lean up and kiss him. He wanted to hold the prince close as he kissed him breathless, the royal pinned down under with that beautiful crimson color on his pretty checks. His panting hitching as he would slip his hands up the other male’s outfit so he could feel every bit of his body. His kissing would lower to his neck, nibbling and sucking up the prince’s collarbone, his soft gasps echoing through the room. He would be slow, but genuine, lavishing the man below him with all the affection in the world as he slowly tugged down the prince’s pants and…

 

 God, he could just deflower this prince of his crown of thorns, setting him free of what ever curse that plagued his mind, he would.

 

 Not here, Julian, not now. Not when you’ll hurt him with your dirty decisions.

 

 He slowly lowered the prince to ground, Ding Dong being the first the speak, “Julian.”

 

 “Ding Dong.”

 

 “Can I… show you something?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowza this chapter was a doozy.  
> Imma start a little author ramble if that's cool  
> When I decided to write Crown of Thorns, I wanted to write a song with it, kinda like Still Alive with Portal and Your Reality with DDLC. The thing is that I never written an original song before, I've written those parody songs where you take lyrics of a song and change it up slightly and that's about it. So this was an absolute adventure for me: there were twist and turns at every corner, lots of obstacles to overcome, a big bad boss level at the end. And I finally got the song done, despite the fact I had to rewrite it a couple times. I think the problem was that I overanalyzed everything, when I just wanted to make something simplistic that fit with the theme of my fanfic. It was hard, but I'm proud of the end product.  
> Only problem I have with it is how similar it is to another song, which was the one that actually motivated me to write it. You can probably tell what song it’s based off of but whatever.  
> This chapter was originally gonna be longer, but if I continued, I don't know how long it would be before I would have to force myself to find an end to the chapter. I wasn't originally proud of this chapter, but now I'm think I'm pretty confident about it.
> 
> Speaking of which, I'm not going to force myself into a schedule for this fanfiction. There are times where I've started fanfictions and told myself that I would update every week on a certain day, and it just doesn't work out for me. Time restraints pressure the Hell out of me and I tend to procrastinate until the very last minute anyways. I'm surprised I've written as far as I did, but I'm also kinda not because I have so many ideas for this story and I'm so glad people are enjoying what I'm writing (Seriously, guys, keep up the comments, I love them so much!) and y’all are one of my motivations to write. So thank you all for the support! I really hope I get to finish this fanfiction!  
> Sorry, got off track. What I'm saying is that I'm going to update when I can on my own time so I actually get decent quality out since I tend to shit out rushed garbage when I'm pressured by a time limit. Hope you guys will understand!~


	6. Wild Woody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, lost motivation writing this chapter. Sorry about that. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out quicker!

 The setting the prince had dragged the other into flourished in summery greens, various breeds of flowers and other plants are supplied in their surroundings. The trees’ branches swayed to and fro to the humming song of the gentle, aestival breeze, the occasional leaf would find itself too enthralled into the wind’s song and divorce itself of its mother tree and onto the grassy ground below.

 

 Ding Dong held Bippy, who miraculously found the two and decided to hop in and tag along, in one hand and Julian’s hand in the other. The servant wasn’t new to this behavior. The prince was often notorious for dragging the peasant everywhere he trudged, hand in hand. Julian could literally feel like his arm was about to rip off, which is a surprise considering how feeble the prince was, as he could hardly bare a sword without the damn thing plunging into the ground with a loud clank. Julian finally concluded the other was just too ecstatic to show him this ‘something’ that he’s been stonewalling for the past ten minutes, whatever this something was.

 

 In the distance was a decently sized fenced area, one that accompanied a shade-giving tree and tall, edible grass that would be any grazer’s dream food.

 

 Speaking of the Devil, a chestnut horse occupied itself in the fenced field by rolling around in the dry land around it, possibly as an attempt to cool itself down, before it perked up at the sight of his master advancing towards it. The hoofed creature pulled itself up with a mighty effort and cantered it’s way up the edge of the fence to meet with the monarch.

 

 Julian felt Ding Dong’s hand untangle with his as he reached up to stroke the muzzle of the horse, his other hand, having letting go of Bippy before, under his chin.

 

 “Hey, Woody.” Ding Dong spoke softly to the horse, “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, I’ve been busy.”

 

 “I didn’t know you had a horse.” Julian chimed in, “And that you talk to it like it’s some human.”

 

 He got a soft chuckle from Ding Dong and an angry snort from Woody, which took Julian off guard for a moment at the fact the animal understood what he said, “Oh hush, Woody, he’s just a friend. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

 

 Julian felt the sour look cross his face at that damned word as the horse made a jolly whinny, before the prince turned to him, “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

 

 “Of course not. These things are expensive as Hell, you know.”

 

 “Right, I shouldn’t assume things.” Ding Dong smile faded, a slight pang of guilty churned in Julian’s chest before the prince had sprang right back up, “Do you want to learn? It’s not as hard as you think it is!”

 

 “I don’t know,” Julian responded, “Is he gonna try to knock me off and smash my ribs with his huge fucking feet.”

 

 “Julian!” Ding Dong laughed quiet to himself, “Of course not! I’ll be there on Woody with you! He wouldn’t dare attempt to throw me off, wouldn’t you Woody?” Ding Dong cooed and nuzzled his forehead up against the horse’s as Woody squealed in response, “You wouldn’t hurt me, cause you’re a good boy. Yes you are! Yes you are!”

 

 Something in Julian bubbled up, resulting in him grabbing the young prince’s hand and lugging him toward the barn. He internally questioned why he contrived a shit-eating grin when he heard the stallion emit an angry snort in protest, stomping it’s hoofed foot like a bratty child.

 

 “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get the gear.”

 

 Bippy had been watching the whole scene unfold in front of him. The small bunny took one glance at the upset horse and, with a twitch of his nose, hopped off to the barn. He sensed a storm making it’s way to the kingdom tonight. It was best to find shelter now.

 

* * *

 

 Ding Dong browsed through wide collection of saddles the royal family had acquired over the many years, deciding whether or not the saddle could burden both him and Julian. He sent the peasant to a bench against the wooden wall and commanded that he wear a leather helmet, just in case. Julian protested at first, but when it came to him that the prince was just doing what he thought what was best, he obediently obliged.

 

 “Hm…” Ding Dong thought, his noise catching the servant’s attention, “I may have a saddle big enough to carry the both of us, but it’s my father’s… Surely he wouldn't mind if I borrowed it temporarily.” Before Julian could put in his two cents, the prince had already left into another room in the barn, leaving him on the bench to himself.

 

 Julian used the time alone to lean back and reflect, his thoughts wandering to the prince. His nails scraped against the leather helmet on his lap at thought of the other’s smile, and that cute laugh he rarely emits, especially the one from earlier, when his arms on the other’s waist and his face nearly inches from his.

 

 Lord, is he really going to get hot and bothered about that situation again, especially when he had just referred to him as a ‘friend’ not even five minutes ago?

 

 Was Julian really just a friend to him? Maybe Ding Dong just didn’t understand nor comprehend the advancements he made with the gifts he gives him almost every day, or how he would always put a tender hand on him, or when he gives him endless streams of compliments in a single breath on a daily basis. Or maybe he just wasn’t interested and is trying to drift their relationship to a platonic one.

 

 He was just a friend. Julian doesn’t know if he can live with that rejection.

 

 Especially when that demon of a horse got more compliments from Ding Dong in a second did Julian ever got in the weeks he’s spent with him.

 

  Julian sighed, allowing any of the anger and frustration he had suddenly gathered up to drop. Perhaps he wasn’t Ding Dong’s type. Or maybe he’s already with someone else. Who knows. But Ding Dong knows what he wants, and he’s willing to do what makes him happy. If he wasn’t comfortable with being with the other, he wouldn’t had asked him to meet up with him every day. Evidently, Ding Dong is happy with Julian, and that’s what happened to the peasant; his happiness.

 

 His thoughts were interrupted with a sound of a strained grunt coming from the other room. Julian stood himself up, leaving the helmet behind on the bench as he went off to the room Ding Dong trailed into.

 

 “You alright in here, Dee?”

 

 The sight before him was… amusing, to say the least. The prince had himself bent over on the floor, attempting to lift this saddle suited for a mammoth up from the floor. The saddle in question, however, was upside down, implying that it had fell over. How Julian didn’t hear the saddle fall over was a mystery to him.

 

 “I can’t lift… this dumb fucking thing..!” Julian giggled at the other’s efforts, before he strolled over to him and wrapped his arms around the saddle, hoisting it up against the chest. Ding Dong stood there dumbfounded and amazed, “How did you..?”

 

 “You lift with your legs, stupid, not your back. You’re gonna hurt yourself that way.” Julian would’ve made a victorious chuckle if the saddle wasn’t trying to slip out of his grasp, “But fuck this _is_ heavy..!”

 

 “Need any help with that, stupid?” Ding Dong retorted, a smirk on his cheeks and his arms crossed against his chest.

 

 Julian protested, “I… got it. Just tell me where to put this piece of shit.” Ding Dong chuckled as he reached for a bridle that hung on the wall, “I’ll have to get Woody out, so you can just set it on the fence until then.”

 

 Julian grumbled under his breath as he struggled to set the heavy equipment down on the closet piece of fence, watching the horse follow behind the prince like a dog would with his owner. Woody stopped in his tracks at the sight of Julian, and huffed in protest.

 

 “Jesus, Woody,” Ding Dong turned to frown at the horse, “What’s your problem? I thought you liked rides.”

 

 The horse made a neigh in response, like he actually having a conversation with the prince.

 

 “Get over here now, mister.” He pointed to the ground in front of him. Woody huffed, before making his way over to the duo.

 

 Ding Dong stroked Woody head in praise before turning to Julian, “Can you put the saddle on Woody yourself, or do you need some help?”

 

 “No, it’s fine. I got it. Just stand there and look pretty, your highness.” He joked, the prince responding with a giggle muffled by his hand on his mouth, and heaved the saddle, carrying the damn thing onto the horse. Ding Dong, meanwhile, was putting the bridle on the horse, the animal not bothering to acknowledge the peasant as he was too busy attempting to nudge the prince.

 

 When Ding Dong was finished, he checked to see if he put the bridle on right, throwing the reins behind the horses head before he went to check on Julian. He stared at the saddle for a moment with a brow raised. His tongue clicked as he turned his attention to a confused Julian, “What?”

 

 “You put it on backwards.”

 

* * *

 

 Ding Dong’s claim of the saddle being ‘big enough to carry the both of us’ was too much of an understatement, as Julian felt the back of the seat push against his backside. His legs felt awkward straddling the horse as there was only one set of stirrups and he had no idea what to do with his hands. But the worse part was how pressed up Ding Dong’s backside was against Julian. Occasionally, he would notice the prince’s attempt to scoot up, as to give more space between the two, only for it to be in vain. Even Woody seemed displeased with this whole situation as he trekked on slowly, making the ride even more agonizingly unpleasant.

 

 But despite the servant’s inner complaints, it actually wasn’t _that_ bad, considering how beautiful the forest looked. Light bled through the top of the many different species of trees, the air of the area having an almost green hue. The best part was the occasional animal that would run by. It was a shame Julian didn’t bring his notebook with him. The way some of these animals were positioned would make for a great drawing.

 

“Is this what you usually do when you’re bored?” Julian had asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence. Ding Dong had simply shrugged his shoulders, “Somewhat. It gets repetitive when you do it periodically, however. And my father doesn’t permit me to stray from the trail or let Woody go anything above a trot. It’s apparently for a safety measure but I doubt he even cares in the first place.”

 

 “If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t had said that in the first place.”

 

 “Have you ever considered that he may have set up these limitations prior so I wouldn’t get injured and, therefore, he wouldn’t have to deal with me?”

 

 “Do you think your dad hates you or something?”

 

 “Heh, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does.” He paused, “I haven’t seen him in days…”

 

 Julian, shoulders sinking in defeat, frowned before jumping up again, “Well, if he isn’t here to restrict you, why bother following his rules?”

 

 Julian could sense the smirk that gathered on Ding Dong’s face, Woody edging closer to a clearing at the end of the forest, “Now what’s _that_ suppose to mean, Julian?”

 

 “I’m just saying, Dee. You can go where ever you want, at your own pace. And he won’t know one bit~”

 

 Ding Dong paused, thinking for a moment, “Well, I wouldn’t say where ever… But…”

 

 Julian found himself reaching to grab the closet thing to him, which was the back of Ding Dong’s shirt, as horse’s walk accelerated into a full on sprint out of absolute nowhere. In one hand he balled his fist around the prince’s fabric and the other he held his helmet to prevent it from taking to the air.

 

 Julian, for a moment, felt as if he was in the air. If he wasn’t gripping the other’s clothes, he would’ve surely fell off the stallion.

 

 Woody suddenly came to a screeching halt, the sudden decline of speed forced him to bump his head into the prince’s back.

 

 “At my own pace… Perhaps.” Ding Dong continued where he left off smugly, snickering quietly as he turned his head to see the peasant attempting to gather himself.

 

 “You could’ve warned me, ya know!?” Julian adjusted his helmet as he looked around at his new surroundings, “Where are we?”

 

 Julian doesn’t believe he has ever saw this corner of the castle walls. The field they found themselves in seemed to stretched for miles, the great, glorious walls that kept intruders out could hardly be seen in the distance. Though it was difficult to spot, there was some kind of deep trench that could be seen tearing through the middle of the field, separating it into two.

 

 “I believe this is some kind of crop ground.” The royal answered, “If there is ever an emergency and we’re low on food supplies, we would start growing our own, although it has never came to that. Sometimes I ride Woody around here because of how much space there is. But, now that I am thinking about it, it’s a perfect spot for him to run around in, no?”

 

 “Sure, just warn me when you do that, will you?”

 

 “I will, I will! Geez, don’t get so worked up, this _was_ your idea!” Ding Dong said as he gently kicked his feet into the horse’s side, prompting Woody to begin walking.

 

 The prince looked up to the sky, the incoming wind flowed through his short brown locks, “Was it this cloudy earlier today?”

 

 Julian, confused, looked up at the sky. Gray had made its way all across the sky, covering any surviving blue, “It was cloudy, but this cloudy. Might start raining soon.”

 

 “Boo…” Ding Dong huffed, “I was just starting to have fun too… Well, I’m not going to have some weather affect me at all. Fuck rain, let it come!”

 

 Julian chuckled, before it slowly dissolved into a noise of concern. With every second, the clouds above seem to grow grayer and heavier, as if it couldn’t hold up its burden for a second more. Julian just hopes, if the rain does come, that lightning isn’t involved.

 

 “Hey, Jules.” Julian snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Ding Dong, “It’s okay if I call you ‘Jules’, right?” Before Julian could even open his mouth to response, he continued, “Anyway, wrap your arms around me, okay? I don’t want you falling off or something of the sort.”

 

 Julian, understanding, wrapped his arms around the prince’s side, “U-Uh… Is this okay..?”

 

 “Yes, that’s fine.”

 

 “Are you sure? I’m not squeezing too hard? Are my arms too high or too low? Is this too awkward—“

 

 “Julian, you’re going to make it awkward talking like that.”

 

 “Right, sorry.”

 

 “It’s okay, Julian.” Ding Dong snickered, “I know this is a bit weird. But I think you’re cute when you try to apologize for every little thing.”

 

 “Wha-“

 

 Julian quickly tightened his grip as Woody raised to stand on his hind legs with a neigh, before springing forward into the wide pasture in front of him.

 

 Ding Dong’s grip on the horse could rival a god, because he was able to sustain himself on the stallion without fear of flying off the creature. Julian, on the other hand, completely relied on the other’s body weight to remain planted into the seat. He wanted to yell, tell the other to slow down a bit, until he heard the prince hoot and holler in utter enjoyment. He would laugh at the horse’s sudden turns, throw his arms up in the air when Woody picked up speed, and even shout with the horse’s neighs.

 

 Julian has never seen Ding Dong this happy before.

 

 But, of course, Julian just had to jinx it for the both of them.

 

 As Woody approached the edge of the forest and turned around towards the direction of the wall, the trio’s eyesight flashed white as the sound of a crash followed by the crack of a tree behind them breaking into two echoed through the field. Woody, spooked by the lightning encounter, screamed out a neigh and bolted into a sprint to get as far away from the spot as possible. Ding Dong didn’t seem to stop him. In fact, he didn’t do or say anything other then stare forward, his back staring coldly at Julian.

 

 “Ding Dong?”

 

 He shook Ding Dong softly, getting no response from him as Woody picked up even more speed. Julian felt his face being pelted by the mixture of sharp raindrops and the harsh wind, resulting in his heart racing and his grip practically squeezing Ding Dong close to him.

 

 “Ding Dong, are you okay? Say something!”

 

 Silence. The hands that barely held the reins didn’t move an inch.

 

 The situation worsened when he noticed Woody was making a direct beeline towards the approaching trench. And it didn’t look like he was slowing down anytime soon.

 

 It was then Julian fell into a state of panic and began to violently shake the prince in front of him, calling out his name and begging him to snap out of it and to do something. When he came to the realization that his attempts were in vain, he then decided that he needed to take matters into his hands.

 

 He used a hand to reach out for the reins, a straining noise left his gritted teeth at the fact they were just inches from his reach. He decided that that wasn’t going to work out for him, and he was about to grab the prince’s wrists at another attempt to get in control of the reins, before he felt his grip loosen on Ding Dong’s side and his legs slip off the saddle. He held onto the saddle, as it was the only thing keeping him on the horse. His helmet had fallen off a long time ago.

 

 There was no way he could get back up in time, if he doesn’t fall off in the process. There was no way he could stop Woody before it was too late. All he could do was grab Ding Dong’s arm and attempt to reach out to him again.

 

 “ _MASON!_ ”


	7. Clear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't expect weekly or even bi-weekly updates, considering this chapter took a month to plan (This chapter is a huge turning point/plot point in the fic) and write out. I also have been given a large spike of hours from work and so most of my time has gone into work and school. I will be out in a couple weeks and might be able to write more then, unless my work decides to make me work everyday like the assholes they are. Anyways, enjoy the angst!

 Mason couldn’t remember where he was, how he got here, or how long he’s been trapped in this void. An eternity? Has he been here an eternity? Is that possible? Can a mortal body like his own surpass the standard life span and become eternal? It didn’t matter. He was scared. Mason was scared, and that he was able to comprehend. He didn’t want to be here for an eternity.

 

 As panic began to bubble up, he could feel something wrap around his torso, his arms, his legs, his neck. Vines. Where are they coming from? There’s a flower behind him, or rather, a whole garden of them. they’re dictating this. How does he know that? He doesn’t understand how. He just does. That’s all he knows. His memories were nothing but faded faces and names and… a name just now came into his mind. What is it? Oh. It’s becoming more clear.

 

 Jon Jafari. Lord, the name sounds so familiar. He was another prince, Mason remembers. Which kingdom? Did he know him? Where was he?

 

 The memories came flooding back, it’s becoming more clear now.

 

 They’re friends. Or at least used to be friends, as he travel more into the future, the memories with the two were just blank. Why were they friends again?

 

 They’re connected, right? It’s the Blue Floret, isn’t it? How does he know what that is? There aren’t any books on it. He checked, he thinks. No, that’s not right. That hasn’t happened yet.

 

 “ _Ding Dong?”_

 

 Ding Dong? Who in the word was Ding Dong? His name was Mason, not Ding Dong. That honestly sounds more like an insult than a name. He pitied the person who had been cursed with that name.

 

 Going back to the voice, it sounded fairly familiar to him. He couldn’t think of who its owner was, however. The vines coiled around his body distracted him too much.

 

 A memory plays. His lips opened ajar, the words slipping out before he could think about them.

 

 “Julian. I’ll remember it.”

 

 It was almost as if the world around him flashed, before the void environment around him quaked. He screamed as his panic grew, before he felt the thorns grow out of the vines and pierce into his skin. A restricted hand reached for his neck to touch the blood he felt trickling down his throat, but he saw not a drop of crimson when retrieving his hand to look at the damage on his palm. He couldn’t see the results of his pain, because it wasn’t there, but yet he could feel it. And god did he feel it. He felt like he was going to die here. Did he deserve this? What did he do to deserve this curse? His mind screamed, _somebody please stop this and help me!_

 

His mind became a disarray of scattered thoughts and memories, unable to focus on just one. Some have already happened, some are yet to come, yet it was impossible to categorize them correctly. Mason was more focused on the pain, as the thorns diverting him away from his thoughts.

 

 He found himself trying to focus to them, but only able to grab three of them. He’s singing and bouncing around in the ballroom as his mother played the piano, he’s smiling as he’s showing off his horse to someone, and he’s sobbing in a corner of the many rooms in the castle with a book cradled in his arms close to his chest.

 

 Things are happening. Events taking place in the past, present, and future. God, he wishes he could be in one than be stranded in this realm.

 

 A sigil flashes in his vision. It’s a flower, transparent with blue outlines. Vines sprouted out of it only to have them twist and turn and return back into the flower to make a harmonic cycle. The flower is blooming, the rose-like petals releasing the pleasant aroma of love. What does love smell like? He’s smelt it before, hasn’t he?

 

 Just like that, it was gone in a flash, but it was still imprinted into his mind like the words imprinted in a book, coming together to tell a story. Only Mason couldn’t connect the dots.

 

 It’s becoming more clear now.

 

  _“Ding Dong, are you okay? Say something!”_

 

Mason snapped out of his trance and looked up at the other child glaring right at him, his face inches away from his own.

 

 “What’s wrong with you, _Ding Dong_?” Jon had asked, emphasizing on the insult, mostly to get on the other prince’s nerves, “I’ve been calling you over and over again. We’re all going to the marketplace. My father is going to purchase a parrot just for me! You coming?”

 

 “Don’t call me Ding Dong,” Mason responded, “It’s not nice! But sure, I’ll join you. I’m going to ask my father to get me a rabbit.”

 

 “A rabbit?” Jon quirked a brow, “Why would you want a rabbit for? They’re pretty stupid and far too common if you ask me.” He waved his hand in dismissal, “Now a parrot— no one has a parrot! AND they can talk!”

 

 “Well,” Mason closed the book in his lap as he stood, “I think bunnies are cute. Besides, a talking animal is weird.”

 

 “You just don’t have good taste in pets.” Jon snarked back, “I don’t even know why we’re friends?”

 

 “You love me, Jon.” The boy giggled to himself as he followed the other towards the marketplace.

 

 “Yeah, when you’re not spacing out like that, you Ding Dong!”

 

 “I said don’t call me that. Or I’ll tell on you!”

 

  _“Ding Dong, please! Snap out of it!”_

 

 “Snap out of what?” Who is he talking to?

 

 “What are you talking about, Mason?” Jon’s voice raised in childish anger and annoyance, “I didn’t even say anything. What’s wrong with you?”

 

 “I thought…” Mason trailed off, looking around at his surroundings. Where was he? He was back at his castle. He had a sleeping bunny in his small arms.

 

 “Boy, you’re a freak sometimes, aren’t you? You’re quiet too. You haven’t uttered a single word for hours.” A parrot sat on Jon’s shoulder, nibbling at his ear, “So you got your dumb bunny. What’s its name?”

 

 Bippy. That was his name, right?

 

 “Timothy.”

 

 “Pretty generic name.”

 

 “What about your parrot?”

 

 “Are you kidding me? I must’ve been talking about him for ages! Did you seriously tune me out that whole time.”

 

 “Yeah, I’m sorry…” He rubbed his arm in embarrassment. He never apologizes, “I don’t know what happened…”

 

 “It’s fine, you Ding Dong,” Jon paused, “It’s Jacques, by the way.”

 

 “Bippy, huh?” Ding Dong smiled, “I like it. Bippy it is.”

 

 No, this isn’t right. None of this is right. It’s not Bippy. It’s Jacques.

 

 Where is he? He’s not at the castle anymore. He’s holding onto someone, like they were his lifeline, as he sobbed into their chest. This isn’t Timothy. He doesn’t want to be here. He screamed, “Please wake up, please! J—“

 

 Go back, go back!

 

 He’s screaming at a guard now, standing erect in front of a coffin. They refuse to let him see the body. Why can’t he see the body? He’s prince Mason Brownbinski of the Chicago kingdom! He can do what ever he fucking pleases, god damn it! _Just let me see him, please!_

 

 He doesn’t want this. He never wanted this. He wanted to go back. This isn’t what he meant.

 

 Where is he now? Where’s Jon? Timothy? Bippy? _Julian?_

 

 It didn’t matter now, everything’s gone now. He can feel the vines again as the environment around him got darker and darker. He could feel the thorny tendrils wrap around his forehead, resulting in an excruciatingly painful headache. He wanted to scream, but he felt something in his mouth that prevented his cry for help. It felt like a flower. There’s a flower growing out of his eye too. God, this was so painful.

 

He could hear something, someone. The same words repeated over and over again in his head, like it was taunting him, teasing and torturing him as he attempted to reach to hold his head together, only to have the vines pull him down again.

 

_“Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!”_

 

Despite the vines growing in his throat, he screamed for them to stop, or at least he tried. He felt as if he was going to die right here, consumed by the pain of thorns pricking into his body in the dark void that was this dimension.

 

 The sigil is back in his mind. He remember what it’s called now. It’s the Blue Floret. Where did he learn that? How does he know that? He always knew, but it was suppressed in the deep corners of his mind, waiting to be awaken at this exact moment in time, if he was even present in time anymore.

 

  _“Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!”_

 

When all other attempts fell in vain, Mason calmed, surrendering himself to his faith. Hot tears rolled down as he closed his eyes and silenced himself, nothing to accompany him but the vines around his body and the sound of his own dying breath.

 

 It’s becoming more clear now.

 

 He wasn’t in such a panicked state anymore, and therefore time seemed to abate, the pain was relenting itself. Mason was calm, and so his environment was too. He was able to dictate this dimension with his emotions. He slowed his heavy breathing and listened to the voice calling to him.

 

_“Ding Dong! Please!”_

 

 It didn’t sound as antagonizing as he remembered. In fact, it was rather panicky, desperately pleading for help. Maybe if he can get this voice to calm down, the pain will lessen for it too.

 

 Ding Dong was the name his friend gave him. Is the voice referring to him? He couldn’t tell. His memories are still scattered.

 

 He tried to speak, he wants to help.

 

 “Who are you?”

 

_“MASON!”_

 

* * *

 

 Julian lost his grip the moment the horse had skidded to a stop, before collapsing onto the grassy ground below him. Woody was mere inches from the cliff’s edge, a mildly freaked out expression plastered on his long face, the prince still sitting on top, only that still, uneasy posture he was holding broken and his breathing was heavy. His trembling grip on the reins was still as strong when he was forcing the horse to stop.

 

 “Oh my God.” Julian mumbled under his breath, standing up, “Holy shit, are you okay?”

 

 The prince turned to Julian, and the peasant felt his heart break.

 

 At first, he couldn’t tell if it was just the wind and the rain, but he was certain those were tears falling from the prince’s cheeks to the ground to join the other raindrops, his hair thrashed against the violent wind. His fingers were curled up, like he was about to rip at his own face. His wide eyes suggested the fear he was going through in that moment. His breathing hitched as he spoke, his voice shaking, “W… Where am I? When is this?”

 

 He almost fell off Woody trying to dismount, but was caught by the concerned horse as Julian approached him slowly, “What do you mean? What happened, Ding D-“

 

 “DON’T CALL ME THAT, JON!”

 

 Julian paused, “Jon?”

 

 When the prince finally looked up to get a good look at the other, he began to tremble, “I-I…” He then bolted pass Julian and into the wooded area.

 

 “Dee, wait!” He didn’t bother to chase after him, as his legs were too sore after that disaster anyways. Julian sighed, him and Woody sparing each other a concerned stare, sharing the same amount of confusion and worry. They both started after the prince, Julian gripping the reins attached to Woody tightly as he hoped to God he was alright.

 

* * *

 

 He was far from alright.

 

 He started off down the path he came from, everything that had happened in the past finally began to flood in and events he thought already happened were disappearing from his mind. He wanted— no, he needed to go somewhere to clear his mind.

 

 He eventually found himself to a small, wooden building, running inside to take shelter from the storm, before he collapsed into something that poked into his skin and made it itch, but it was dry and at least provided minimum comfort. He curled up into himself, wrapping his shaky, wet arms around his own cold body. He used the palm of his hand to wipe the tears from one of his eyes, finally easing his heavy breathing.

 

 Now that he was calmed down, and his brain isn’t racing, he thinks to himself.

 

 Where was he?

 

 He checked his surroundings through misty eyes to observe his surroundings.

 

 He found himself back at the barn, the pile he was laying in was that of hay. No wonder it made him so itchy. His horse was missing from his usual spot, which is unusual, considering that he would’ve come in by now if it was raining.

 

 He felt something nudge at his foot. When he turned to look at the culprit, a pair of white ears stood straight up, two red eyes staring back at the prince.

 

 The prince made a sad smile at the rabbit, ushering it to come up to the pile with him, which it did, snuggling up to the man’s chest.

 

 “You’re Bippy. Not Timothy.” It was more of a statement to himself than a question. He found himself completely taken aback at how raspy and weak his voice was. This never happened unless he didn’t used his voice enough, or rather, too much. Or if he had screamed.

 

 The bunny’s ears raised at the first name, as if it recognized it, “Okay, good. I’m glad you could find shelter then…”

 

 He scratched behind Bippy’s ears, closing his eyes as he felt more tears escape.

 

 When was it?

 

 He listened closely to the storm raging right outside the thin, wooden walls he had concealed himself in, the raindrops slamming harshly against the already crippled roof. Some of the drops found their way through the thin wooden cracks to drip onto the side of the prince’s face.

 

 He was taking Woody for a ride, he remembers. But he didn’t expect it to rain, despite the graying clouds that were filling up the sky with their hefty burden. They weren’t expecting rain anytime soon, as they were in the middle of a two month long drought anyways. There was no way rain could find their way here, he assumes. He was, of course, wrong. Very, very wrong.

 

 He remembered a flash, a loud bang of thunder, and here he was.

 

 The prince’s eyes then suddenly jolted at the realization.

 

 He was with Julian when it happened. He left Julian out there in the rain, Woody too.

 

 As if on cue, he heard two sets of footsteps: one light and the other heavy.

 

 “Hey…”

 

* * *

 

 The prince didn’t respond. Instead he curled up more, holding what Julian assumed to be Bippy close to his chest, his back turned to the peasant.

 

 “I don’t know if you’re mad at me or not. But I just want to make sure you’re okay.” Silence, “Can I sit by you?”

 

 When he finally got a response, a nod of a head, he climbed onto the small pile of hay, laying on his stomach in front of the prince. Woody found a spot beside the hay, nippling at the edge of the hay stack for a quick snack. The prince held a blank stare towards the rabbit, tears glimmering in the dark atmosphere.

 

 “Please,” Julian begged, reaching to cup the other’s cheek to raise his head. The prince broke his stare to look up at the other man, “Let me help you.”

 

 The royal sniffled, sitting up to wipe his eyes, a comforting hand was patting his back.

 

 “I’m sorry…” He finally said, Julian found himself also surprised to hear how terrible he sounded. He never apologizes, “Something happened when the lightning struck… I don’t know what it was… I didn’t mean to leave you two out there. I just… I didn’t know what was happening.”

 

 “It’s okay,” Julian reassured, “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”

 

 Moments later, the prince was laying back down in the hay, Julian’s arms consolably wrapped the other’s small frame. The two laid in silence, their foreheads touched as they listened to the sound of their own breathing, and the violent nature of tonight’s weather. Bippy was resting his head on the prince’s wet hair, his nose twitching, while Woody laid beside them all, his heavy breathing could be heard echoing through the room.

 

 “Can you explain it at all?” Julian finally asked, “What happened to you?”

 

 “I can try…” He replied, closing his eyes as he attempted to think, “I remembered being in this… black void. I remembered being in constant pain, and I was… reliving memories… memories I’ve been repressing for years…” He paused to make a shaky exhale, “And memories… I didn’t quite recognized… They’re from the future, maybe? I don’t know. But, at the same time, I couldn’t tell which ones were in the past, and which ones were in the future. It was all so addling and the worse part was that I felt like I was dying. Something was killing me… But I can’t remember what it was. Everything is kind of a blur now…”

 

 “Has this ever happened to you before?”

 

 “Well, yes and no,” He responded, “Sometimes, when I find myself spacing out, my vision goes blank and I see nothing but that same void, but that’s nothing compared to what this was.”

 

 “Anything else you saw?”

 

 “Yeah. I don’t know what it was. I can’t remember what it looked like, but it was some kind of symbol. It was blue. That’s all I remember… I can’t provide any more information…”

 

 “Hey,” Julian spoke in a gentle tone, “It’s okay. I understand… Is there something I can do?”

 

 He sent him a sad smile, “Nothing you haven’t done already, to be honest with you. But you’ve done enough, thank you Julian.”

 

 Silence once again flooded the room. The two listened to each other’s breathing, the only light being close to none. Bippy found his way between the two and nuzzled in this newfound spot. A thin hand had rise from its resting place on Julian to the top of the bunny’s white head.

 

 Julian smiled as he watched the prince pet the rabbit. If rabbits could purr, Bippy would definitely sound like some sort of machine by now.

 

 “So… When I called you ‘Ding Dong’ back there,” Julian spoke, “You yelled at me and called me Jon.”

 

 “Oh.” The prince responded, “I guess you and Jon act alike at times, and considering I wasn’t sure where I was and I wasn’t processing information correctly, it just came out.”

 

 “It’s fine, Ding D—“

 

 “Actually,” He interrupted, “I think I want to be called ‘Mason’ for now on. ‘Ding Dong’ is—” He snickered to himself, “— really silly now that I think about it.”

 

 “You got it, your highness.” Julian sent the other a wink, Mason giggling at the response.

 

 Julian didn’t want the conversation to die, so he continued, “So… Jon. As in prince Jon?” Mason nodded, “Were you two friends?”

 

 “Oh, yes. The best of friends.” Mason smiled in dreamy nostalgia, as if he was reliving one of the many suppressed memories he wished he could forget, “God, he was such a brat at times, and always rushes into things without thinking it through, but he was so sweet and funny. He had such a contagious laugh and he had such a passion with parrots, and it was his life mission to make everyone around him smile. Oh, you would’ve loved him, Julian.”

 

 “… When you told me about Jon,” Julian started, “Back at the tree. You didn’t seem as…” He paused, thinking of the right words, “Emotionally attached to him… as you do now.”

 

 “Yeah,” Mason sighed quietly, “You can only cry over something for so many times before it’s just too exhausting to do anymore.”

 

 The only thing that came out of Julian was a simple ‘Oh’, a pitied look shot at the prince, before he took notice.

 

 “Don’t worry. I won’t forget you like I did with Jon. I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. Besides, I like you, remember?”

 

“Ah… Yeah, right.”

 

 Mason sent him a sad smile, and Julian could’ve swore he felt his heart skip a beat when the prince retracted his hand from the bunny to comb through the peasant’s hair.

 

 “Julian…” His voice was so low and quiet, yet it held a certain teasing charm to it, “Your hair’s all wet… And it’s so greasy. When was the last time you took a bath?”

 

 Julian let a laugh roar out, “What are you talking about? I’ve never taken a shower.”

 

 “We should change that one day. I have my own personal bathroom, so no one will find us there—” He didn’t realized what he said until it already left his lips, “Wait! I didn’t mean—!”

 

 The room boomed with the tan man’s laughter again, the prince joining in on the guffaw with tiny giggles, “Julian! Don’t take that the wrong way!”

 

 “I’m NOT!”

 

 “Yes you are!” The prince shouted back, jabbing a finger into the other’s check, “I can see it in your face!”

 

 “There’s nothing wrong with us taking a bath together, Mason—!”

 

 “JULIAN!”

 

 After sustaining a light shove from Mason, he responded by grabbing the royal’s wrist— gentle enough as to not harm or intimidate the other, mind you— and rolled over onto the other, pinning the prince down into the hay stack, straddling the other. Bippy had already jumped out of the way by then and Woody had perked his head up and turned his attention to the two, his protective anger bubbling up as he prepared himself to take action if things get taken too far.

 

 “I’m serious! You need a bath too!” The royal giggled in response when it was Julian’s turn to comb through his hair, “Your hair is a mess!”

 

 “Not as much as your’s! You were out there in the rain longer than I was!”

 

 “So? Aren’t baths suppose to destress you or some shit? You need one just as much as I need one! So why not kill two birds with one stone and bathe together?~”

 If Mason wasn’t red from when Julian first made that statement a minute before, he was certainly blooming cherry now. And even though he had used his free hand to cover his ruby coated face, Julian can still feel the heat from the other’s face.

 

 He’s getting too close.

 

 “God, Julian! You’re so weird!”

 

 “Only to you, your highness~” Julian purred, releasing Mason’s hair and grabbing ahold of his other wrist, prying it from his face.

 

 Mason could only gaze at the other in both anticipation and fear as Julian leaned in closer and closer to his face, foreheads touching and lips near inches from each other.

 

 That is, until, the shack’s walls shook as another bolt of lightning struck right outside, prompting Mason to jump back and Julian to jolt up in shook.

 

 “Jesus Christ,” Julian mumbled under his breath, “That shit sure knows how to come right at the wrong times… You okay, Mason?”

 

 Mason’s widened eyes and frozen face gave the impression that he was back in that trance, and Julian was about to panic, before the prince quickly snapped out of it, “Yeah. I’m fine.” Mason took a look at his surroundings, before he perked up, his hands harshly pushing Julian off of him.

 

 “Good Heavens! What time is it!?” Mason bolted towards a window, the harsh rain slamming against the glass pane, “Chris is going to murder me! I need to go!”

 

 “You can’t go out there!” Julian retorted, sitting himself up, “You’ll get soaked out there. Sick even!”

 

 “But if I don’t go back, they’re going to get worried!”

 

 “I’m not letting you out until you have an umbrella or something.”

 

 Mason looked around the room anxiously, his hands quivered as he made a beeline to the other room, “M-Maybe there’s one in here…”

 

 Julian sighed, standing up from that comfortable spot on the hay stack, before he followed the other. He leaned against the doorframe, the prince bent over an opened chest, throwing out boots, equipment, and clothes galore, before he perked out and pulled out a long, black cloak, “There we go!” Mason cheered, moving to show Julian the cloak, “It’s not an umbrella, but it’ll perform the job just as accordingly! Right?”

 

 A huff was executed from Julian, his arms crossed at he scanned over the other and the cloak in unassurance, “Sure, I guess.”

 

 “And what about you?” Mason asked, throwing the cloak around him to equip it, “Maybe I can find a cloak for yourself?”

 

 “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll just stay here until this storm blows.”

 

 “That’s an atrocious idea, Julian…” Mason frowned, “It’ll get cold and lonely here quick… I have a feeling this storm will take a lengthy amount of time to cease. I’ll find another cloak.” He dug back into the chest, despite Julian’s claims that he’ll be fine. But Julian eventually gave up convincing the stubborn prince and just sat down by the doorframe, Bippy jumping into his lap and adjusting to make his new seat more comfortable.

 

 It took some time, but the royal was eventually successful in his endeavors and was able to locate another cloak, almost identical to one he was currently attired in to boot.

 

 “Julian,” Mason started after Julian threw on the cloak, “Will you walk with me? I know it’s a bit of a lengthy walk so you can go ahead and head to your quarters if you don’t wa—”

 

 “Even if you didn’t want me to, I’m walking with you anyways. I’m ready when you are.”

 

 Mason nodded in response, returning the items he had thrown out of the chest, cleaning after himself and checking if Woody had enough food and water to last until tomorrow. And after saying goodbye to the horse and Bippy, he approached the other, “Okay, I’m ready.”

 

* * *

 

 It wasn’t as long of a walk as Mason made it out to be. In fact, Julian would be bold to say that the walk was rather short, especially since half way through the trip, Mason decided to speed up, occasionally stopping to jumping into a puddle, much like a child would.

 

 It wasn’t long after that, however, did Mason decided to reach for the other’s hand and hold onto it. The simple gesture threw the peasant off guard, but he wasn’t at all protesting against it.

 

 When they had finally reached to the castle, Mason had turned to Julian, “I had fun, Julian. Even though I ruined it with my little… episode.”

 

 “You didn’t ruin it.” Julian retorted.

 

 “Yes I did, but I promise it won’t happen again.” Mason paused, “Are you going to be okay walking back by yourself?”

 

 “I’ve been doing it for weeks. I’ll be fine.”

 

 “Alright… Well,” Mason advanced closer to the other, leaning forward. There was heavy hesitation, before soft lips pecked Julian’s forehead, throwing him off guard a second time tonight, “Thank you.”

 

 Julian could stare as if he was in a trance as the other turned to walk to the palace, turning to wave goodbye, only to bump into his bodyguard, who had just came out to look for the prince. Julian didn’t fully process what Chris was yelling at Mason about, as his mind was completely on that kiss, but he knew it had to be about him going missing for the day.

 

 But then when he saw the royal’s shoulder tense from the shouting, he had the sudden urge to punch the guard right in his ugly face.

 

 Julian caught Mason nod, before disappearing inside the building with a sprint. The guard turned to the peasant, shot a piercing glare at him, before retreating inside to join the prince.

 

 Despite the day not even being over yet, he stood in the pouring rain, already ready to be with Mason tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only goes downhill from here, folks.


End file.
